Foyle's War

Series 5
- Episode 1
Invasion

Review

by Alison Graham

The peerless Michael “less is more” Kitchen stars as the muted detective Christopher Foyle in this 2006 episode of the leisurely wartime drama. We are in 1942, and the peace of a beautiful Sussex village is shattered by the arrival of American airmen. The local girls, particularly the village pub’s wanton barmaid, are delighted to see them, such is the lure of silk stockings and doughnuts. But others are not so welcoming.

A disgruntled farmer (Keith Barron) objects to the requisitioning of his land for an airfield and causes trouble, and the ever-impassive Foyle is roped in by the American commander, who's keen to win over the locals. But soon Foyle is needed not for his diplomatic skills but for his undoubted expertise as a detective, when a village dance has a tragic outcome.

Summary

American GIs arrive in Hastings to a mixed welcome and Foyle is called on to calm the locals. But his attempts at soothing relations are jeopardised when a barmaid's involvement with a visiting soldier results in murder, leading the detective to defy orders to keep the peace and solve the case. Wartime crime drama, starring Michael Kitchen, Anthony Howell, Honeysuckle Weeks and Keith Barron.